My Mind Has Been Overtaken by Arkham City

Excited, eager, and enthusiastic - these are the words I'd use to describe myself (at least for the topic at hand.) Since I was a kid, I've been very expressive about my interests (video games, movies, music, comics, TV shows, electronics, and more.) It can be a bit exhausting at times, but I enjoy being excited for things. In fact, I often go out of my way to stay excited as long as possible. Pertaining to video games, I'll take all the information I can get for the games I'm interested in - I can't get enough! Whenever Game Informer has month-long coverage of a cover story I like............ yeah, it's awesome.

Borderlands 2 was one of the most exciting cover stories I've seen in awhile - that and Darksiders II. Also, the Borderlands 2 cover is my 2nd favorite Game Informer cover. Click here to discover my favorite Game Informer cover.

Getting excited for upcoming games is nothing new for me, but in the past few weeks, I've experienced a level of excitement that I've never had before - an anticipation that has completely consumed my mind. I'm talking about my anticipation for Batman: Arkham City. I don't know if it's my recent obsession with Batman (Arkham Asylum and The Dark Knight took my interest in Batman to new heights), my lack of newer games to play in the past few months, or a combination of the two, but I've been ridiculously excited to play this game. There are A LOT of incredible titles releasing this fall, but my brain is totally consumed by The Caped Crusader and his gallery of rogues. To make matters worse, my favorite video game magazine gave this game a 10. Review scores certainly aren't everything, but I know the games that have received a 10 from Game Informer, so chances are slim that it's going to be anything less than amazing.

I was going to use a picture of Metal Gear Solid 4, but that would be a fanboy move since the entire Metal Gear Solid series is at the top of my list of favorite games of all time. I'm not sure where Uncharted 2 lands on my list, but it's probably at least in the top 20, if not the top 10.

I was excited for Donkey Kong Country 2 when I was younger. My parents surprised me and bought it for my birthday. I freaked. I had no idea I was going to get it, but once I did, there was no waiting required. I was excited for Metal Gear Solid 4, but I didn't own a PS3 at the time, so I didn't follow it very closely. I ended up borrowing the game and the console to play it, but I didn't plan this - it happened after the game had already released. I was REALLY excited for Metal Gear Solid: Rising, but I've been waiting for that for a few years. I still haven't heard an official release date. I'd hate to say it, but my excitement has faded. I've been excited for games, but never like this - I want Batman: Arkham City and I want it RIGHT NOW! Fortunately, I was able to purchase and read the Arkham City hard cover comic, which is the prequel story that explains the events that lead to the construction of Arkham City. It came at a great time as I recently started following comics with the release of DC's New 52. I highly recommend the Arkham City comic, especially if you've played Arkham Asylum and plan to play Arkham City.

Tying in with the release of the BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY video game, this special edition collects the entirety of the BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY miniseries including all five digital-first chapters! Combined, this collection bridges the gap between the original smash hit BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM video game and its highly anticipated sequel. Find out the real motivation behind Mayor Sharp's plans for the new criminal gulag and how Hugo Strange is pulling the strings behind the scenes. The short digital stories reveal more about how characters other than Batman react to the rise of the new city-within-a-city.

Batman: Arkham Asylum was a surprisingly excellent game, and I almost literally can't wait for the highly anticipated sequel. I've never been more eager to play a game in my entire life. EDIT: I forgot to mention that I'm taking a week of vacation this week to play the game! :)

I'm 28 years old, and I still get really excited about video games. To a certain degree, I'd say I get even more excited about them then I did when I was younger because back then, I didn't follow the industry like I do now. Honestly, I hope to continue to be just as animated about my love for games, no matter how long I live. I hope I never become jaded and lose the ability to have video games capture my imagination.

What about you: Are you excited for Batman: Arkham City? Have you ever been abnormally excited for a game? Do you ever wonder how much you'll love video games in ten, twenty, or even thirty years?